Peeta and Katniss: Brand new start
by Jantaria
Summary: This short story is about how Katniss tries to understand her feeling for Peeta. Will she be comfortable with their current "best friend" status? Who knows?...


I was walking steadily. It was like a dream; where I was crazy and irresponsible.  
I liked that thought.

Who cares, anyway? District 12 is a totall mess nowdays; people rushing nowhere, blank eyes, blank souls. All was forgotten and lonesome. My only desire was the woods around our district, with lovely birds, fields and untouched nature...

I smile while walking forward, stepping in the muddy puddles with joy, smiling, to the sunshine, which is quite rare here...I am hiding something, even from myself. I am just afraid of this thought...How could it ever possibly happen? No, forget it Katniss. He is just your friend. The boy who saved your life. You owe him a big.  
So what.

We can still just go on how we were. Perfectly happy with our current status of best friends. At least I am perfectly happy with it.

 _Are you._ \- there is this voice in my head. No, I am not crazy. I hope so at least. It is just my heart that somehow always finds the right words to make me blush.  
And it is always a nice shot.

I bend and leap under the „danger" sign, out to the freedom, to where I really belong.

The dense, emerald-green grass hides the sound of my feet, making me almost unhearable for human ear.

I am heading towards the poppy field- the only one of its kind- as our legends say.  
I try not to think about anything- because I know, if my brain will get a chance, it will make me to turn back. And I want to walk forward _so badly._

There he is. I can clearly see his blonde hair among the bloody-red flowers. A chill run down my spine, when he turns his head and looks right into my eyes.

I swallow hard. What if I will look now at my feet or anywhere else how I usually do when I am about to blush? He will certainly think something. Oh my gosh. I am so stupid. Why did I even come here?  
But there is no need to be afraid of this- his eyes make me to forget about everything- and I make another step towards him.

\- Katniss!- he shouts out and waves his big hand with joy.

I wave back and suddenly all my fears just disappear, and I start to run. And it feels so good.  
He jumps up from his place, opening his arms widely.  
I run into them, hugging him and resting my face on his chest.

\- I was about to turn back- I say, smiling.

\- Am I so scary?- he says in a low voice, that vibrates through my soul.

\- Your influence on me is the one that is scary.

\- So you announce publicly that my influence on you is quite too big, Miss Everdeen?- he says, still holding me in his arms. Am I dreaming this up or there is some new kind of happiness in his voice?

Forget it girl. This is just your imagination. Nothing more. Nothing more. Forget it. You are friends. Don't ruin your happiness.

\- Oh, Mr. Mellarck, you are such an idiot- I say laughing and unfold his embrace.  
I feel a need of this space. Just to make things safe. I don't want to make a big mistake and lose him. Because one harmful kiss...and all is over.

He sits down beside me, tearing off a big poppy, and looks at it. In that moment I really felt I wanted to become that poppy in his hands, with his loving look resting on me forever...even if for a flower that forever would have lasted only for 3 months...

\- I want to be a flower- I say suddenly, in hope that he will look at me at last. But he did not.

\- Oh really? Why ?- he asks, still playing with that poppy in his hands.

\- Because they don't need to feel pain of parting; they don't need to feel sorry for anything. And they don't need to pretend.

\- I am sorry for many things in my life- he says slowly with a slight touch of despair in his voice. My Peeta is sad...This is something really new. When we are together- he is always smiling and making me to feel happy. No matter what is waiting for us back in district 12.

\- And what are you sorry for?- I ask, placing my hand on his shoulder. Really. What can he be sorry for? He is always kind with everybody, so open-minded and so warm-hearted.

\- For hiding the truth from somebody I _really love._ -he says, slowly turning his eyes to mine. And when our looks meet, I can't bear it anymore. The wave the comes over me. The heat that takes over my body.  
The hunger.

I press my lips on his, feeling how the tears in my eyes are going down my cheekbones and land on his face. He suddenly embraces me with the same fever as I attacked him; pushing me closer to his chest. He whispers something; it is almost unhearable, but it makes me to stop and breathing hardly I look into his eyes.

\- I love you- he whispers, knowing that this is what I really wanted to hear.- I love you- he says agian and again, wiping away my tears of joy; smiling and kissing my face.- just please, never cry again.-he whispers- It drives me crazy.

I nod, smiling through my tears and hug him. We are laughing like little kids, jumping up from our places and chasing each other among the scarlet poppies, which remind me so much of the sunrise...the beginning of something entirely new.


End file.
